REVIEW: Horovitz's 'Out of the Mouths of Babes' entertains at Gloucester Stage

Monday

Aug 14, 2017 at 2:44 PMAug 14, 2017 at 2:44 PM

By Sally Applegate Correspondent

The exes of a womanizing man have been invited to his funeral, as he has finally retired from the chase by passing on at the age of 100. One by one they arrive at the Paris apartment they each shared with him at various times over the years, and the memories begin to flow. They probably learn more from each other than they wanted to know about the man they shared.These diverse women are brought to humorous life by four special actresses, enlivening the New England premiere of Israel Horovitz’s "Out of the Mouths of Babes," which he also directs for Gloucester Stage.Horovitz’s wry dialog draws regular bursts of laughter from the entertained audience.Obehi Janice has the liveliest role as Marie-Belle, the youngest and most recent of the man’s live-in lovers, who has invited the others to join her for the funeral. Janice gives this plum role her all in an animated and energetic performance. Employing a humorous accent and first-rate physical comedy, Janice is a hoot romping around as Marie-Belle.Paula Plum, sporting a tousled head full of bouncy curls, is fun as Evvie -- the eccentric and independent spirit who proudly reminds everyone that she remained a girlfriend but never married this serial cheater. Just how much and how often he cheated is revealed during the course of this play, to the amazement of his exes.Sarah Hickler is convincing and engaging as the depressed and suicidal Janice, who keeps trying to hurl herself out the window [which, fortunately, is over a river]. Hickler’s expressive face brings this determinedly depressed character to humorous life. Explaining the very start of her unsuccessful existence, she describes being born minutes after her twin, who gets all the attention by arriving first. "I sort of crawled out on my own," Janice says.Debra Wise deftly handles the role of Evelyn, the oldest and longest-lasting of the cad’s live-in mates, who recalls coming home one day to find her husband in bed with Evvie. Wise handles comedy lines well, as in the scene where, sporting a nice black dress for the funeral, she notes, "When you get to be my age, you need a whole closet of funeral dresses."Interactions between these four wonderful actresses are consistently entertaining as the play works its way through to a spirited conclusion. It’s a fun night out for theater-goers.Israel Horovitz’s "Out of the Mouths of Babes" runs through Sept. 2 at Gloucester Stage. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be a special Tuesday evening performance on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m.Audiences are invited to free post-show discussions with the artists after the 2 p.m. matinees on Sunday, Aug. 20 and Sunday, Aug. 27.Ticket prices are $32 to $42 for all performances, with discounts available for ages 25 and under, senior citizens and Cape Ann residents.All performances are held at 267 East Main St., Gloucester. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 978-281-4433 or visit www.gloucesterstage.com .